Flying into Glasgow International Airport, it was the ‘armadillo-shaped’ SECC roof, the SSE Hydro and Finnieston Bridge that drew my attention and dazzled as the sun began to set in the early evening.
There was a definite ‘buzz’ in the city, a legacy of having hosted a successful Commonwealth Games and having brought their rich and colourful patriotism to global attention during Scotland’s vote for independence. And now the Glaswegians were preparing for Europe’s biggest party: the 2014 MTV Music Awards (EMA) that soon will reverberate around ‘The SSE Hydro’ which forms part of the modernist cluster of buildings that has spearheaded the regeneration along the banks of the Clyde. It was outside this venue I stood waiting to ask directions….
“Walk past the wee ‘cheese-grater’, beside the ’squinty‘ and under the ’big dipper‘ and you will be heading the right way, pal” was the response I received when asking the way to the city centre and the citizenM Hotel. As if the Glaswegian accent is not tricky enough for Sassenachs to decipher; locals like to give a nickname to everything, which not only raises a smile to ones face but gives an insight into their character. The ’cheese-grater‘ refers to the external cladding of a brand new multi-story car park, the ’squinty’ is the arching and attractive ‘Finnieston Bridge’ and the ‘Big-dipper’ is one of the feeder roads that sweeps round, roller-coaster style, and connects with the motorway heading out of the city.
I followed the banks of the Clyde and eventually made it to the very modernist citizenM Hotel, right in the beating heart of Glasgow. There were three fundamental things that struck me on arrival at the hotel; first was that the architecture, which could only be described as a stylish ‘Rubik’s cube-like’ matrix of glass and metal. Huge panes of glass invited the eye inside to an open gallery of sophisticated furniture, art and a hive of activity, all interacting harmoniously under the soft lighting that emanated onto the street. The second feature, was the absence of a formal check-in desk, just a friendly young assistant who leads you through a series of touch screen prompts before handing a card-key and instructions on how to control everything in your room using a Samsung tablet. And finally, the prime location of citizenM, was just moments from the famous and sometimes infamous ‘Sauchiehall Street’.
With only two nights to get a taste of one of Europe’s trendiest cities, I ventured out in to the late evening and into a wall of noise. Glaswegians know how to party and they do it at maximum decibels, whether it be groups of revellers moving from bar to bar or buskers in the main thoroughfare, strumming, drumming and singing to their hearts content mobbed by eager listeners. By night the city is beautifully illuminated, most of the bridges spanning the Clyde shimmer in the water in hues of red or blue, whilst a walk along the city’s main artery ‘Buchanan Street’ will showcase a master class of bringing the buildings to life through light.
For all the hard partying of a weekend, there is also a very elegant and cultured side to Glasgow, one that time prevented me from fully exploring, but tilt your head upwards and Victorian edifices of yesteryear come into focus. Admire St Enoch’s or Blytheswood Squares, walk beneath the Merchant Arch to find some fine restaurants, an area whose history is all in the name; as one of the oldest quarters of the city it has been home to both monks and traders.
For lovers of design and architecture, then Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s ‘Scotland Street School’ museum built between 1903 and 1906 is a shrine to the art nouveau movement and one attraction not to be missed. Similarly, the ‘Gallery of Modern Art’ should definitely be part of any visit to Glasgow. Housed in the iconic 18th century building with a colonnaded façade, the acropolis-style venue is home to contemporary art collections.
By Sunday, I had only scraped the surface of what Glasgow has to offer to a weekend visitor, but it had showed me enough to entice me back for more. I was only sorry not to be able to stay longer, to catch the MTV Awards, when Glasgow will once again do Scotland proud!
For more information about staying at the citzenM Glasgow and for bookings go to: http://citizenm.com
